


Kingdom Hearts: Divergence

by alesca_munroe



Series: Kingdom Hearts: Keyblade Princess [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-14
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2017-11-16 06:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/536701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alesca_munroe/pseuds/alesca_munroe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riku and Sora weren't the only ones on the beach that night.  When Sora takes Riku's hand, the Keyblade takes a third option.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> This first part is written by Delena Hupp (original posted to FF.Net).  
> Summary: A lesson in independence: A stormy night before departure is the start of an adventure far from the one Kairi initially had in mind.

The night before they are set leave the Island, Kairi does not dream. Kairi does not sleep, for that matter. Doubts, fears, worries pass through her thoughts as she tries to rest in anticipation of the long journey ahead of her _am I being irresponsible? won't my father miss me? would anyone else miss me…?_ , but these anxieties are fleeting at best.

A storm builds outside her window and Kairi wonders if Sora and Riku can sleep either. She entertains the idea, briefly, of gathering her travelling possessions this very moment and fetching the boys just so her nerves can finally relax. It's a thrill before her flight out of her nest, a twisting in her stomach at the thought of finally knowing where her life had begun. Jittery, Kairi half-folds, half-stuffs her clothes into her purple backpack along with a few water bottles, books, toiletries, bracelets, her shell charm _for luck_ , and a paopu _so the three of us can't lose each other on this adventure_. She glances one last time around this room that has been home to her for the past six years, and with more than a few reservations, creeps silently out of the house.

She stops outside Sora's house and waits, for what? She doesn't know. For morning, perhaps, though the dawn is still hours from the horizon. The storm in the distance only swells. Kairi waits for her thoughts to catch up, then moves along silently on the abnormally unlit street. She repeats a similar process outside of Riku's house, but lingers less before find her feet leading her to her own canoe, her ferry to the play island.

With great difficulty against the waves and ever-strengthening wind, Kairi fights her way to the small island and anchors at the large dock. She notices a light on in the tree fort, hopes briefly that Tidus, or Wakka, or whoever may be occupying the structure won't decide to look outside and notice her… She's not sure why, but she's overflowing with doubts and crazy ideas. The urge to take that raft and leave the boys behind is suddenly overwhelming; she could be completely free, free to go wherever she wanted to go, not where Riku decides, free to find her birthplace on her own time, not on some tightly-packed Riku-schedule or at a dawdling Sora stop-and-look-at-everything pace, but her own pace… just free. She knows the idea is selfish and impractical, but never has something been so appealing to her as the idea of taking control of her own life, her own destiny and with excited chills she makes her way to the raft to sort out her thoughts.

The hair on the back of Kairi's neck and on her arm stands on end in response to static as a brilliant series of flashes illuminate the small island, a roll of thunder responds violently, and Kairi finds herself actually struggling to stand against the suddenly-intense winds. Strangely, as if in reaction to the lightshow overhead, the ground darkens noticeably and Kairi panics.

In a matter of seconds, everything goes terribly wrong.

The ground moves, swirls, struggles like a newborn, and from the mass of textureless black that was once coarse pristine sand, stark yellow eyes blink out at Kairi and lunge for her.


	2. Often Go Awry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A last-minute rescue, a rescue begun too late, and the end of two worlds

A familiar red jump rope cracks through the air just inches away from Kairi's face, knocking the shape born of Shadow away from the redhead. Selphie looks terrified, not for herself, but for the other girl. Kairi is equal amounts relieved and afraid. What if Selphie had not shown up when she had? Another crack sends the Shadow back into nothing, but more eyes appear, more eyes watching them.

C'mon, princess!" Selphie grabs Kairi's hand, pulling her, and Kairi is surprised at the smaller girl's strength, but only briefly. Selphie _does_ spar with the boys, after all. Selphie looks Kairi over, making sure she wasn't hurt, as they run. Snaps her jump rope at another creature. "Did it get you?"

"No," Kairi responds, keeping up so Selphie isn't so much dragging her anymore. "Selphie, what are those things?"

"I don't know! They just came out of the shadows!" The brunette tugs Kairi's hand a little more urgently. "C'mon, I think I saw Riku and Sora at the dock."

Riku and Sora. Kairi breathes a little easier. Maybe they'll be able to make sense of the madness their world has suddenly become.

~o~0~o~

They run down to the dock where Riku stands in a pool of shadows, Sora mere inches away from the writhing Darkness that reaches out to claim him as well. "Come with me," Riku says to Sora, holding out a hand.

"Riku! Sora!" Selphie calls, snapping her red jump rope at the Dark creatures with the glowing yellow eyes when they come too close, and keeping a firm grip on her princess's hand. Keeping her safe.

"Don't-!" Kairi starts to say, but it's already too late.

Sora grips Riku's hand, trusting the older boy _(like he always has, and this may very well be their downfall for it)_ , and the Darkness takes them right before Kairi and Selphie's eyes.

All around the girls the world as they know it breaks into pieces and is swallowed by the all-encompassing Shadow that stole their friends. Selphie wraps her jump rope around Kairi's and her hands, binding them together and holding on for dear life. "Don't let go, Kairi," she sayspleads _begs_ the only one she has left, and it's the first time in a very long time that she's called the redhead anything but ' princess', and where is everyone else when you need them( _TidusWakkaLulu_ Irvine, _please be all right)_. "Don't let go."

It's not like Kairi has very much of a choice in the matter, but she holds on tight as the world disappears.

~o~0~o~  
 _  
The silly red rope binds you to your little soldier in more ways than one, Princess of Heart. And because of that, another's fate will be changed as well._

~o~0~o~

Far away, worlds away, another place is taken by that same Darkness, but its occupants are blissfully unaware. Save one. Out of the corner of her eye, Fuu sees the end of her world, and something no one else on her world has seen.

_Kingdom Hearts_


	3. Traverse Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Fuu, and other elements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the super long wait; I legit didn't realise it's been nearly a year since I last updated this. There are some shifts in writing style, due to the passage of time.

She arrived out of nowhere, as most of those who come to Traverse Town tend to do, disoriented and shaking with fever, but not nearly so off-balance that she can't land a hit when Aerith draws near. One red eye focuses on the flower girl, who watches and waits for the newcomer to realize that Aerith won't hurt her. "You don't look well," Aerith offers as the girl turns away somewhat dismissively. "Why don't you come to the house and get better in no time, hm?"

"Find Seifer," the albino says shortly and begins to walk away.

Aerith sighs and does what she does when Leon won't admit to being hurt- she hits the girl over the head with her staff, knocking her out. It occurs to her that she did not ask the girl what her name is, but answers can wait until the girl's fever is lowered.

~~~

“We’re not keeping her.”

“Leon, she’s not well.”

“So cast Cure.”

“You know how I feel about natural healing.”

A pause, where Yuffie knows Aerith is staring Squall down and she smiles because Squall will not win this one.  “Fine.  But after, she’s on her own.  I’m all for helping people, but she has a fighter’s build.  She can take care of herself.”

“Or she can go on rounds with you and Yuffie.”

Yuffie wants to walk out and join the conversation since it involves her now and also, Squall is wrong about the strange girl.  Yuffie has been in the room with the girl since Aerith brought her in- in Aerith’s own arms, like the unconscious teen wasn’t nearly as tall as Yuffie- and been effectively guarding her since Squall came home and started arguing with Aerith.  The stranger has an athletic build, like she plays sports and _maybe_ she did some kind of sport karate class, but it’s not like Squall’s bulky strength or Yuffie’s lean muscle, both from years of very different training.  It isn’t strength born from fighting to survive against the darkness.

Yuffie eyes the girl, sleeping fitfully in Aerith’s bed, and brushes her matted silver hair from her forehead.  Yuffie’s bedside manner is nonexistent, but she thinks this is one of those times when a damp washcloth is advisable-

Eyes snap open, and Yuffie has just enough time to think ‘ _red’_ before a fist enters her periphery.  Yuffie is ninja, however, is trained to react with her body even if her mind has not yet caught up, and she dodges the blow easily, stepping out of range.  “Hey now, that’s not called for.”

The girl looks at her mistrustfully and while she does not try to hit Yuffie again, she gets up so the bed is between them.  “Who?” she asks flatly.

“Who am I?  I’m Yuffie.  Aerith’s the one who brought you here- rescued you, in case you don’t remember that part- and you’ll meet Squall here in a bit.”  Yuffie pauses.  “Actually, he goes by Leon now.  Who are you?”

“…Fuu.”  The green of Cure lights Fuu’s hands briefly, and the flush disappears from her cheeks, her red eyes clearing.  Yuffie makes a note to make sure Aerith knows that Fuu Cured herself.  They could always use another healer.  Potions are easy enough to come by in Traverse Town, but Yuffie has spent too many years running from and battling the Heartless not to appreciate having less to pack when they have to run.  Fuu looks around the room and adds in a grudging tone, “Thanks.”

“Eh, don’t mention it.”  Yuffie cocks her head towards the living room and, yep, Squall and Aerith are still arguing.  The argument is not even about Fuu anymore; they have moved on to something about a dog and a duck and a key.  “Tell you what- I’ll give you the rundown and dime tour of Traverse Town while they finish talking.  You’re okay with climbing out of windows, right?”

Fuu answers by opening the window and shimmying down the drainpipe like a pro.  Yuffie grins and grabs a chakram from the stash she keeps under Aerith’s bed- Aerith understands that Yuffie likes to have weaponry everywhere, thankfully- before following.  The sharp pinwheel isn’t her favorite weapon, but she has the feeling Fuu will like it.

“Hey, wait for me!”

~~~

They are in a world cloaked in perpetual evening. From the moment Kairi and Selphie came to in an alley, the dim light has not changed at all, no indication if night will end soon or if it has just begun. Selphie's bravado wears thin as they run into more of the Dark creatures who swarmed over their home and took Riku and Sora. Kairi has not seen any friendly faces, no faces beyond the glowing yellow eyes that seem to follow them wherever they go, and there is only so long they can run before the creatures overwhelm them.

"Promise me," Selphie all but pleads when they dive into an alleyway to escape a creature whose eyes are the same yellow as the others, but wears some sort of armor. "No matter what, we're going to stay together. You won't disappear like the boys, like the islands, like everything else-"

"Okay," Kairi promises. The younger girl needs this reassurance, and though the two have never been especially close, Kairi does not want to lose the one person, the one anything, she has left from home.

Without warning, Selphie swipes the paopu key chain hanging out of Kairi's pocket. "Swear on this," she commands, pressing it into Kairi's hand.

Kairi doesn't believe it will make a difference, but she does. Selphie smiles and kicks the beetle-like Darkness trying to approach.  It stumbles back, then skitters forward again, lunging like others they have seen.  Selphie snaps her jump rope at it and the Darkness dissipates, leaving behind a small pile of gold.

"Hey look! They cough up money if you beat 'em long enough!"

Oh yes. Selphie is back to normal.  Kairi smiles with relief more than anything else.  If Selphie can maintain her plucky spirit despite the loss of their boys, their home, their- Kairi steels her nerve and picks up a metal pipe.  She has watched the boys do enough play-fighting with swords; she can do this.  Kairi swings the pipe at a shadow and it connects, slashing right between yellow eyes.  There’s a flash and suddenly the pipe has changed shape.  “A key?” Kairi wonders, but hasn’t any time to do more than that, because more of the Darkness comes forward and there is nothing but the crack of a jump rope, the swing of an oversized key, and Selphie humming a song about sunshine.


	4. After Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's not safe," Aerith says, because she's the only one who actually voices that concern. 
> 
>  
> 
> In which Leon goes on patrol with Yuffie, more or less rescues Kairi and Selphie, and ends up taking them in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eventually I will update this more than once a year. 
> 
> Updates including artwork (by the lovely delena-hupp) are located at http://khdivergence.tumblr.com/

"It's not safe," Aerith says, because she's the only one who actually voices that concern. 

Leon keeps checking his gear.  Gunblade, Potions, an extra Elixir. 

"It's Traverse Town," Yuffie replies because he isn't going to, and she's the chattiest ninja Leon ever met.  He packs another Potion because Yuffie never remembers to bring any.  She rarely gets hurt, the same goes for Leon himself, but sometimes she needs it for the survivors they find.  "It's never safe."

All the refugees from lost worlds end up here.  Not all of them stay (Cloud walking away still aches fiercely, even if Leon knows he can take care of himself just fine) but there are a fair number that don't leave.  If it's not safe for trained fighters like Leon and Yuffie, then it's definitely not safe for the average displaced person.  A lot of them have learned better than to go out at night so Leon spends most of his nights out cutting down swathes of Heartless instead of rescuing people. Or arriving too late and having to cut down what they’ve become.

"Stay here," Leon says to Aerith when she goes for her staff.

"I can fight," Aerith reminds him mildly, as if he could forget.  He has a couple scars from their past bouts, before the Dark came.  They haven't sparred since arriving, but Leon would be a fool to think she didn't keep in practice.

"I need you here in case we need you for healing.  And..."  Leon casts a pointed glance toward the ceiling.  Their latest guest is a decent fighter as well, and Yuffie armed her as soon as she woke, but Leon won't have her patrol just yet.  He doesn't deny that she is strong, but he is not cruel and she had just survived the death of her world.

Aerith sighs.  "It's my turn tomorrow," she warns and settles in to wait.

Yuffie hefts her large ninja star and darts out the door.  Leon is slower to take to the street, standing on the doorstep until he hears Aerith slide the bolt shut.  He doesn't have to wonder where Yuffie went because they've been at this long enough to know each other's habits.  Leon takes his own path on the streets, knowing that he and Yuffie will cross paths at least twice before the night is over. ~~~~

Leon hears the sounds of a fight shortly after midnight and shoots a Fire spell at the Heartless he sees swarming towards a broken storefront window.  Slicing through more takes no time at all, and soon he is close enough to see who has been cornered.

Two girls fight off the Heartless, clumsily enough to be new at it and back to back, proving they have some sense.  One is a brunette with a wide grin and a yellow ensemble, cracking a jump rope at the Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies that come within her wide range.  The purple-clad redhead bites her lip in concentration as she beats back the Shadows and Soldiers with-

"The Keyblade," Leon says, stunned.  A Yellow Opera chooses that moment to fly right at his face and he concentrates on fighting again.  It's not a difficult fight; Leon has been stronger than these Heartless since before his world was lost. The hardest part is making sure the girls have not fallen victim to the Shadows.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this," the brunette greets him, after.  She tugs at her clothes, checking them over. Satisfied, she goes back to grinning at Leon.  "Glad we got the new duds, Kairi.  My dress wouldn't have held up for beans.  I love the new zippers.  Oh, and I'm Selphie!  That's Kairi.  Who are you?"

Leon blinks as he sorts the lightning-quick chatter out.  "I'm Leon," he introduces himself flatly. He looks around for anymore Heartless that might have hidden.

"Chatty, huh," Selphie says and opens her mouth to continue, but he cuts her off, looking at the redhead.

"How do you have the Keyblade?"  The King's messengers had just left the day before, saying they would check Atlantica for the Keyblade Bearer.  Leon thought they were chasing a rumor and a myth until this moment.

Selphie asks, "The what?" as Kairi says, "I don't know.  It just appeared."  Both girls' outfits look new and sturdier than the clothes poking out of a pack Selphie hefts onto her back.  Leon is proven right when Kairi goes on, "We were just paying the shopkeeper when those, those _things_ attacked us.  We've seen them before, but not that many at once.  They got the shopkeeper first, and probably would have gotten us if you hadn't shown up.  Thanks."

"Where are we, and what's special about the Keyblade?" Selphie asks, bouncing on her feet a little despite the edge to her grin.  She's scared but doesn't seem inclined to let that stop her.  "We're also trying to find our friends and what happened to the islands and-"

"Let's go someplace safer," Leon interrupts.  There's no point in giving the Heartless more chances to attack them, and Yuffie will be looking for him.

As if called, Yuffie swings through the window and blocks the reflexive jump rope strike with her shuriken.  "Nice greeting," she says with a wink.  "Good reflexes, I can work with this.  Squall to the rescue, huh?"

"My name is Leon," he reminds the ninja.  He looks back to the newcomers.  "This is Yuffie.  Now let's go."

 

~~~~~~

 

As they walk through the districts back to their home, Leon and Yuffie give Kairi and Selphie the basics.  Traverse Town and what it is.  The Heartless and what they do.  Why the Keyblade is important.  "So we have to lock the worlds to protect them from the Heartless," Selphie surmises.  "Or else they'll end up like Destiny Islands."

"Pretty much," Yuffie agrees. 

"And there's no getting our home back."

"Not as far as we know."  The King's messengers had been more intent on finding their King and the Keyblade Bearer for saving worlds that hadn't yet fallen to the Darkness.  That didn't exclude the possibility of recovering lost worlds.  Still, Leon refuses to hope that his home can be retaken from the Darkness.   It will hurt too much to have that hope taken away again later.

"We're getting our home back," Kairi says, stubborn.  Her grip on the Keyblade tightens.  "We're going to find Riku and Sora and then the four of us are going _home._ "

"You can barely handle the Heartless here," Leon points out because it's the truth. He doesn’t stop people from leaving Traverse Town to find their own way, but he tries to discourage it until they learn how to survive what took their world. And these two want to take on the Darkness head on.

Kairi meets his eyes. “Then train us.”

Leon knows he will help them even before Yuffie turns an expectant look on him. This slight girl is the Keyblade Bearer, their only hope for stopping the Heartless. And even if she weren’t, training the two girls gives them two more fighters, two more people to protect those who lose their worlds. “All right,” he says as they approach the house. “But you’ll want to meet Aerith first. She’s strong with healing magic, and you’ll need that out here.”

“Magic,” he hears Selphie whisper excitedly to Kairi. “First Shadow creatures, now magic, no _wonder_ Riku wanted so badly to leave the Islands.”

 Kairi flinches. “And all it took was losing our world to go.”

“Aw, c’mon, princess, you know I didn’t mean it like that. There’s bad out here, but there’s gotta be good to balance it out, even if I have to make it up myself to find it.” Selphie smiles at Kairi until the redhead smiles back, and then dive into a conversation with Yuffie about weapons, Yuffie’s opinion on the jump rope as one, and what might make a solid replacement.

Leon looks a Kairi as she falls into step with him. “Princess?” he asks. They hadn’t given the impression that their Islands had royalty.

Kairi shakes her head. “It’s a nickname. Selphie has always called me that.” 

They go inside and Leon lets Aerith take care of the girls while he goes upstairs. Yuffie skirts around him, saying something about her weapons locker. Leon goes to Fuu’s room. As expected, Fuu is asleep. She spent the last two days searching for her friends, for any sign of home, running herself ragged. Aerith hasn’t yet needed to resort to drastic measures to bring her home in the afternoons, but there’s a reluctance Leon can understand whenever they get home just after sunset.

When Leon goes back downstairs, Aerith has pulled out her store of Potions, holding one in her left and a Cure in the other. Kairi has her hands out, as though she wants to touch the magic but isn’t sure if she should. Selphie is holding an oversized nunchaku and regarding it with unholy glee. Leon does not sigh but it is a near thing. “Outside,” he says to her, because apparently Yuffie has left him with the dubious honor of teaching Selphie how to use it. “Before you hurt yourself.”

Selphie turns her grin on him and drags him outside. Aerith says to Kairi, “Come on, I think you’re about to get some hands-on practice. Later, we’ll figure out which offensive magic suits you best.”

They don’t notice the figures watching them from the shadows.

 

~~

 

Riku and Sora watch from the shadows as Selphie (laughing, happy, _alive_ ) hefts a set of oversized nunchaku and dives right back into her sparring match with one of the Traverse Town inhabitants, a man in leather and belts and holding a gunblade. The man quirks a small smile at her dauntless ways and blocks her attacks neatly. Nearby, Kairi and a woman in pink giggle at them over the green healing magic in the woman's hands. "Well, look who's having a good time," Riku says, voice flat. He plays indifferent because it's better than showing how hurt he is that they don't care about their home being gone, about not knowing where their *real* friends are. Indifference is better than this breathless _rage_ threatening to claw up and out and just _take over_ -

The Shadows swirl in the corner of his eye, and Riku turns to look. Sora's hands are clenched, wisps of Darkness coming from between his fingers, while tears threaten to spill from his eyes. "They forgot us," he says tightly. "They don't even care that they left us behind."

Maleficent takes a step closer. "The Darkness won't abandon you," she says and that's true, the only constant since leaving the beach of the play island is that the Darkness has been there all along, never leaving their sides, their hands, their hearts. "Let me teach you how to wield it and you'll never be alone again."

Riku exchanges a look with Sora, and the younger boy nods. He reaches out and Riku takes his hand, the same way Sora took his. The power in the Dark is theirs and there's no one who can take it from them.

 

~

 

Aerith shivers suddenly, the healing magic flickering in her grasp. "What is it?" Kairi asks, feeling suddenly cold. Leon and Selphie carry on as though they haven't noticed a change. 

Aerith looks into the shadows across the square, eyes distant. "A Light has gone out," she says faintly. She shakes her head and focuses on Kairi, the moment over. "Let's see you summon Cure now, Kairi."

She never does explain what she meant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated~


	5. Atlantica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlantica

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying a different format for this chapter; next one might be back to our regularly scheduled format.

 

==

 

Cid sends Kairi and Selphie and their week of combat training to Atlantica. "Should be a fairly good place for you to start looking for your friends," he says, chewing on a toothpick. He doesn't say that by 'good' he means 'relatively unscathed by the Heartless,' or that half the reason he's sending them away is because there's a war on in Traverse Town. There's a war with the Dark and all of Traverse Town is involved whether or not they want to be. He doesn't want them to be collateral damage in fights they're not nearly ready to take on against enemies they've no way of knowing how to stop permanently.

Having no better leads, Kairi and Selphie go. Maybe they'll find answers. They'll find the boys again and find out how to save the worlds and, please, on all the paopu on Destiny Islands, let them all go home and it not be like Leon said his home turned out.

 

==

 

They find answers. There are nights afterwards where Kairi wishes she didn't know all the things she knows now. Things about the Heartless that won't ever leave her memories. Things about how she has to save the worlds, all of them, because no one else can and what happens when she can't.

They find the boys. Selphie will never admit she wishes that they had stayed gone, because then she could pretend that saving the boys is as easy as it sounds, that this is all one grand adventure. Then she wouldn't know what the boys were capable of doing.

It was a world underwater. Neither of them knew it could burn.

 

==

 

"Fins!" Selphie gasps and flicks her new tail at Kairi. It's bright yellow, like her outfit had been before they entered Atlantica. Small patches of brown and silver dot it, matching the shells that replaced her top.

Kairi's own tail is purple, edged in black at the very tips. She wonders if breathing underwater should come so easily. She and Selphie move through the water far more easily than she expected, though the first time she flips over is disorienting. Selphie accidentally whacks herself with her nunchaku a couple times before she figures out where her tail needs to go. Kairi can't help but laugh; her Keyblade returns unerringly to her hand with every throw.

 

==

 

The spaces between the worlds are dark and quiet. After the roar of flames and the screaming and the inescapable grating of Darkness swallowing the world, Kairi though the silence would be welcome.

Instead, it's damning.

 

==

 

They meet Ariel and Flounder. They meet the Heartless of this world, too.

Kairi's lightning works just as well underwater as it did in Traverse Town. She grins at Selphie because the training they had done with Leon helps, it really does, and they're better than they had been. Better enough that they don't need to tag-team every Heartless. Better enough that when they do, it's a devastating combo.

Ariel and Flounder cheer. Sebastian, when they meet him, lectures them all on dangers and against running right into them. He has a special segment of his speech for Ariel and Flounder about trusting strangers so easily.

Apparently, there are other strangers in town. Kairi looks at Selphie, and they hope.

 

==

 

Kairi's burns and scrapes and various hurts start making themselves known. She holds a hand out over her leg, figuring she should start with the worst of the damage first. Her hand won't stop shaking, the magic always shifting away from Cure's green tinge to the crackle of lightning.

Selphie's hand covers hers and the smaller girl doesn't flinch when the lightning licks over her fingers. Given the extensive burns, Selphie probably doesn't even really feel it. She kneels in front of Kairi and holds up the Potion bottle for Kairi to see before she pours it on the winding lacerations.

Potions usually don't hurt. Today, it feels like salt in the wound.

 

==

 

Ariel takes them to her father, the king. He tells them that messengers of a different King came, and during their quest to find him, talked about a sword that could lock worlds and keep them safe from being destroyed by the Dark.

"Lock the worlds?" Kairi repeats, just to be sure. Leon didn't know how the Keyblade was supposed to help against the Heartless, only that it should. This makes it sound like each world has a hole meant for her blade to slide into and fit.

"That's what they said," Ariel confirms.

"Where do you think the keyhole is?" Selphie asks.

Exploring turns out to be Ariel's favourite pastime, despite her father's best efforts to dissuade her. She's with them when Riku and Sora turn up.

 

==

 

Riku has a sword. It's dark and Dark and shaped like a bat wing. Selphie doesn't know what to call the weapon in Sora's hands, some awful sword that elongated into sections that turned the blade whip-like at will. They find out about Sora's weapon’s capabilities because the first thing he does upon seeing them is slash at Kairi.

"Sora!" Kairi cries out. Her Keyblade is already up and blocking because while they only had a week to learn, Leon and Yuffie were thorough on the whole aspect of "move first, think later." Kairi flicks her tail and shoots backwards, away from Sora. "What's gotten into you?!"

"You're in the way," Sora replies with an awful smile, sickly and inhuman. He pulls back his weapon, but does not lower it.

Riku, meanwhile, has been fighting Selphie with quick slashes. He’s stronger than Kairi remembers. Selphie blocks each slash with more effort than he puts into each attack, until she freezes his sword in a block of ice and darts over to Kairi’s side. “What’s gotten into you!” she demands, hurt, but at least not physically. Kairi owes Leon so many apologies for the times she thought him a slave-driver during their training. Sora and Riku have been moving with the intent to do serious injury to the girls.

Kairi turns to look at Ariel. "Get out of here," she says. Whatever's wrong with her boys, it isn't to do with the mermaid princess.

“Ditching your new friends the same way you ditched your old ones, I see,” Sora hisses. He looks betrayed and angry, the gleam of something not quite _right_ in his eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Selphie asks. “We’ve been _look-_ ”

Sora’s weapon shoots out and opens a long gash on Selphie’s arm. She cries out, curling in on herself. Before Kairi can do more than put herself between Selphie and the boys, Ariel shoots forward in a green and red blur to knock Sora backwards. “Ariel, look out-!”

It’s too late. Riku’s blast of Darkness hits the mermaid dead on, sending her reeling. Selphie grabs Ariel, hands glowing green with Cure. “Go,” she says firmly, pushing her towards home. “Get your father, just _go._ ”

Ariel swims away as fast as she can, Flounder in her arms. Selphie turns just in time to see Riku lift his ice encrusted blade. Beneath the ice floating away in chunks, it glows red.

That's when they find out fire magic works underwater just as well as lightning.

 

==

 

"We need to figure out what to do next," Selphie says into the silence. Kairi expected her to be the first to talk- Selphie couldn't stay silent even when Irvine was sick in the hospital and no one thought he was going to make it. No one but Selphie, of course.

"Atlantica is lost," Kairi says and can't keep the bitterness out of her voice. She failed to save them. Ariel and her friends, all the fish in the world... Leon told them that everyone who made it out of the ruins of their world ended up in Traverse Town. What happens for those who never lived on land? Do they gain legs the same way Kairi and Selphie had fins? Did anyone even make it off the world?

Selphie ducks her head and Kairi thinks, this is it, this is what makes Selphie cry. But then the younger girl says, "Not all the worlds. There are still worlds left we can save."

Selphie is right, Kairi knows. They have to save the other worlds. The Keyblade chose Kairi for a reason, and until someone else better for the job shows up, it's Kairi's.

Kairi nods and stands, helps Selphie to her feet as well. "We should go back to Traverse Town, tell Leon what we found out, and see if he has any new information."

At this, Selphie perks up. "Sounds like a plan!"

The smaller girl bounces over to the controls and puts them on a course to Traverse Town. Kairi has to smile, just a little. Their world may be gone, and their boys estranged, and another world lost to the Dark, but Selphie remains optimistic and cheerful. At least one thing remains the same.

“Kairi, man the guns!” Selphie calls back to her, determinedly jovial. “Got asteroids out there!”

Kairi smiles and takes her place. They have a job to do.


End file.
